


A Much Needed Talk

by deadbydaylight



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, takes place in between the barn talk they have and the adam fight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:14:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26331745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deadbydaylight/pseuds/deadbydaylight
Summary: She took a breath, her ears falling flat. The worst part of it all was that she understood the anger. It was completely earned. She needed to give her an explanation, and one that didn't just serve to clear Blake's guilty conscience. She needed to lay it all out, let Yang decide for herself how she felt and be willing to accept it. Even if it meant that Blake had screwed it all up beyond repair. Even if it meant that she never wanted to see her again.Her heart dropped to her stomach. She knocked on the door.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 4
Kudos: 93





	A Much Needed Talk

Blake curled her hand into a fist and raised it cautiously, keeping it hovered an inch or so away from the door. She knew had to gather up the courage to knock, that she couldn't just run back to the couch with her tail between her legs for another sleepless night. This conversation had to happen. She couldn't take another one worded, disinterested answer from Yang. Couldn't stand hearing the sharp edge in her voice whenever she could actually get her to respond.

She took a breath, her ears falling flat. The worst part of it all was that she _understood_ the anger. It was completely earned. She needed to give her an explanation, and one that didn't just serve to clear Blake's guilty conscience. She needed to lay it all out, let Yang decide for herself how she felt and be willing to accept it. Even if it meant that Blake had screwed it all up beyond repair. Even if it meant that she never wanted to see her again. 

Her heart dropped to her stomach. She knocked on the door. 

"It's open."

Blake opened the door a crack, enough to peer through at Yang. She had her back up against the headrest, attention focused on some game she was playing on her scroll. For a moment Blake was reminded of Beacon, of nights when she'd stay up reading, thinking she was the only one awake until she'd hear Yang cursing softly at some game from the bunk above her and she'd laugh quietly to herself. Some nights she would come to join her, others she would just set her book down and listen to her voice until she'd fallen asleep. These memories felt impossible to process now, the feelings from them slipping through Blake's fingers until they were nothing but a dull hum in the background. Beacon might as well have been another life. 

"What do you want, Blake?" Yang spoke quietly, voiced laced with annoyance. 

Blake gripped at the side of the door as she tore her eyes away from Yang, gaze falling to the floor. "I, uh, couldn't sleep."

"Yeah... me too."

Blake could swear that she heard Yang's voice soften, just for a brief moment, her ears perking up. She took a step into the room, quietly closing the door behind her. "I actually came here because I wanted to talk to you."

Yang looked at her without speaking for long enough that she thought maybe she had made a mistake. Finally, she pat the spot beside her on the bed, sighing. "Okay. Sit."

She made her way over to the spot Yang had indicated and sat down. She was stiff, awkward. She kept her hands in her lap, afraid that if she laid one of them by her sides it would make its way over and brush against Yang's. An overwhelming sadness enveloped her, feeling like a punch to the gut. It used to be so easy. 

"When I was talking to you in the barn, I-"

"You made yourself pretty clear, Blake. I get it. You'll protect me. You'll be a hero, or whatever, and then you won't have to feel guilty anymore." The edge returned to Yang's voice, her eyes narrowing- becoming red.

"Please, Yang. Just _listen_. Just for a minute. And then I'll go, if that's what you want." 

"Okay." Yang closed her eyes. "Fine."

"I never meant to say that you weren't capable of taking care of yourself." She felt tears well in her eyes and fought desperately to hold them back. She remembered how Adam would always chastise her for crying, accusing her of trying to manipulate him. "Just that... everything you've done for me, to keep me safe. I'd do it all for you too. And not because I feel like I have to make it up to you or be a hero. But because I want to."

Yang opened her eyes and looked over towards Blake, her expression softening and the remaining shades of red in her eyes fading to pink, then purple. 

"Because I l-" Blake cut herself off, taking a breath. "Because you mean _everything_ to me."

"Blake.." Yang spoke softly, her voice wavering. "Then why'd you leave? If I mean everything to you, why'd you leave?" 

"You have to understand. I left because I thought it would make you safer. I wanted to be there with you more than anything else in the world. But it seemed so... _selfish_." The last word was broken and weak, spoken with venom. Before she could do anything about it, the tears were streaming down her face. She put her head in her hands, trying to hide them- or at least make them less visible. "I thought I had to choose between keeping you safe or being with you. And I didn't think my happiness was worth it."

"Our happiness." Yang reached for Blake's wrist, gently, and pulled her hand down away from her face. "You think I don't want you around? I was miserable when you left."

Blake's ears fell flat, her free hand dropping to her side. She shook her head and tried to speak again when Yang suddenly intertwined her fingers with hers, rubbing circles on the back of Blake's hand with her thumb. The sudden touch caught her off guard, the words she had been ready to say all getting hopelessly jumbled. 

"But.. I think I understand a little more now. And I know you're sorry." 

"I am." Blake confirmed immediately, finding her voice again. "And I know I was wrong. But I'm here now because I want to be. I've wanted to since the moment I left. I want to face everything together, _with_ you. Not protecting you. But... looking out for each other. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize it. That's all I wanted to say. Thank you for hearing me out."

She let out a breath, squeezing Yang's hand gently before she let go. She began to get up from the bed when she felt Yang's fingers around her hand again, reaching for her. 

"There's.. there's room here. On the bed, I mean. That couch can't be very comfy."

Blake froze in her tracks, heat rising to her cheeks. "Are you sure?"

Yang slid to the far side of the bed in response, patting the empty space beside of her. "It's there if you want it."

Blake considered it for a moment before sliding into the bed beside Yang, carefully pulling the covers over herself. She felt the same stiff awkwardness as earlier, but the dread from then had began to subside- leaving her only with a pounding heart and the urge to reach out for her, to run her hands through her hair and fall asleep tangled up beside her, the warmth radiating from Yang enough to keep them both warm during the cold Argus night. She couldn't do any of that. Not yet. But for the first time in a long time, she let herself imagine a future where she could. 


End file.
